Winter: Epilogue
by Mad Vampire Poet
Summary: Ellie had killed David. She was safe now. So why didn't she feel it?


**Winter: Epilogue**

Ellie brought the machete down again, rage, pain and fear the only things that kept her going now. She couldn't stop. Even as she saw the face in front of her turn to bloody mush, she couldn't stop. The way he'd made her feel... he'd betrayed her, hurt her, tried to kill her. And the worst part of it was how powerless he'd made her feel. How helpless.

She was grabbed a moment later, and fought before she realised it was Joel. She sank into his arms, sobbing and crying. He tried to comfort her, but she knew he didn't understand what she'd been through. Couldn't understand.

Ellie dropped the machete on the ground, not looking back at it. She didn't want to see it again. She didn't bother to take back the revolver he'd taken from her either. It hardly had any ammo anyway. She walked a bit behind Joel as they left the burning restaurant.

"Can you pass me my bag?" Ellie asked. Her voice didn't sound right. Still shaking from her tears, halfway to sobbing.

Joel shrugged her backpack off his shoulder and tossed it back to her. Ellie caught it and knelt down to readjust the strap Joel had loosened. She checked eveything inside and saw it was all there, even her pistol, though she didn't have any ammo. She knew she'd still had a couple of bullets left, but they must have been taken. She wondered if it had been used against her. She put the empty gun back inside the bag and closed it up, then put it back on.

She brushed already melting snow from her jeans as she stood. She'd got used to the frozen numbness in her skin from the snow, but after the heat of the burning building, she could feel it again.

She looked back, unable to stop herself. The thick smoke rose into the sky, blotting out what little light remained of the day. It looked like some of the other buildings were starting to catch. Half the town might burn if something didn't stop it. Good. Cannibal bastards deserved it. Let them burn.

Ellie didn't even want to keep walking. She wanted to curl up and hide, but she needed to get out of this place. She couldn't stay here, or anywhere too close. This was the place she'd hid Joel while he was hurt. Where she hunted, killed infected, to keep them alive. Where she'd lost Callus, and been betrayed. Where she'd been the most afraid in her life.

She looked ahead at Joel. He walked with a slight limp, his gun in his hand. He was scared too. His place was bad. He'd said that about Pittsburgh, the town with the hunters. But even Pittsburgh hadn't been like this.

As they reached the end of the street, voices rose into the air. They hadn't encountered anyone for a while, after the two had killed so many earlier. But now the fire had drawn them like moths, and they were worried. Afraid. Ellie knew how they could fight, but she didn't wznt to. She was done fighting. But they wouod never be done fighting. Endless fights were the price they paid for surviving. They always would be.

Ellid heard footsteps and ducked, out of sight. Someonr ran at them with a two by four and Joel shot them in the face sith his revolver. Another came up behind, aiming for a choke, but Ellie ran up for a kill with her switchblade.

She looked down at the body. How many people had she killed over the last couple of days? How many had Joel? Should they keep going? But they had to. Ellie needed to get to Salt Lake City, to the fireflies. It was the chance to do something good. To make something good out of this shitty world. The world needed her. No matter what she went through, no matter what she had to do, she'd get there.

"Is that all of them?" she asked.

"I think so," Joel said.

They carried on walking. The sun had set. All light came from the fire behind them and the moon above them. The orange and silver light made thebhousrs around them look strange. It seemed like any house could have someone or soemthing waiting inside for them. Some of them likely did. Ellie doubted there were any infected around this part of the tow, so closento the center of the settlement. But there were bound to be more people, and at least some of them would have guns. Their only hope was that everyone would be too scared of them to fjght. She was surebthat by now everyone had heardvthe stories of the crazy man and the little girl.

They got out of the town without another incident. Night had fallen, and they needed their flashlights now, but that wasn't a problem with no one there to see. They needed to find somewhere to shelter for the day, needed rest. And they needed food. Ellie hadn't eaten since the deer meat. She wished she'd never spotted that deer. She could have avoided this whole mess. But she couldn't have got those antibiotics either. And nothing had... happened. She'd killed him first.

When they found somewhere to sleep, it was nearing dawn. A house - - almost a shack - - right on the outskirts of town. It was half buried under the snow and the roof was caving in, but there was a cellar which should be intact. And there was no way they'd be spotted.

They had a look around some of the closets. Ellie found some ammo for her pistol and Joel found some canned found. Not as appetising as deer. In fact, Callus's hay would have tasted better. But food was food. They ate, salavaged some ratty blankets from the upper floor, and started a fire for the night.

Ellie didn't argue when Joel said he'd keep watch for the night. She wanted to sleep. She was tired enough today to last a lifetime. She didn't want to spend the whole day worrying even more. She closed her eyes, and hoped her dreams would be better than the hell she'd through the last couple of days.


End file.
